My eyes ripped open. The moon was going down, so I knew it was the early morning. I had a throbbing headache and the pressure seemed to increase every minute. I desperately rubbed my temples, trying to find relief. It took me a while to realize that I was in my bed, but I had no idea how I got there. I remembered everything up until the sleepiness spell and then my mind drew a blank. It honestly scared me. I walked to the bathroom and washed my wash and walked back into my room. I sat on my bed and looked for my phone which was strangely found on my charger. I sighed. Anything could have happened. I opened my phone and scrolled through my contacts, looking for someone to call. I dialed.

"What?" Answered an irritated, annoyed, and beyond pissed off Rachel.

"Rachel..." I said pleadingly. She gasped.

"Oh, Kori, Hi." I got straight to the point.

"Rachel, what happened last night?"

"I don't know, I didn't take you home."

"What?!"

"Ya... You and Richard disappeared after the bonfire."

"Oh..."

"I assume that you were engaging in 'the late night smooching' that you frequently accuse Gar and I of?" She said smugly. I laughed nervously.

"I wish..." I mumbled, not really to anyone, but mostly to myself.

"Was that a confession?" I could feel her smirk through the phone, almost as well as she could see my blushing in the awkward silence.

"You actually got me interested. Tell me."

"Tell you what friend Rachel?" I always reverted back to speaking a form of English that resembled my native tongue when I was extremely nervous.

"About your feelings for, Richard." She replied. There was no reason to hide it any longer. Rachel was my sister and even though we looked at life through different lenses, we completed each other. It went beyond the friendship classification of me being the "typical frou-frou princess" that befriends the girl who is the "atypical, anti-society outcast." Our personality traits complimented each other's and we are able to give the other perspective that we wouldn't be able to see on our own. We were patient with other and that allowed for an exponential amount of love to fill the gap between us...as well as the occasional girl talk. I revealed to her every crevice of my heart. There was no corner cut or rock unturned and there was no spot that was hidden. I even told her about how my moods were affected by him. It was funny how Rachel and I always knew (with great certainty) what faces we made while we were talking. Right now, she had a small smile.

"I'm guessing that Richard doesn't know about this." I sighed.

"No, but do you think it's weird how my mood changes around him?"

"Of course not. The love of your life is always going to affect your mood." Rachel said, factually.

"Does your mood change when you're around Gar?" I inquired, half-jokingly and half seriously. Rachel was always in control of her emotions so it was hard to get a read on how she was feeling.

"Sometimes..." She answered honestly. That was all I needed to hear. Rachel never liked to elaborate on her feelings. She said it gave her anxiety.

"Did you and him engage in the late night smooching?" Rachel laughed.

"Don't be stupid, Kor...of course we did." I dropped the phone.


When my headache subsided and I recovered from the news of Rachel and Gar's nightly escapades, I had gotten ready for school. I ate breakfast and headed out the door. After I locked the door, I turned around to see a black BMW in my drive way. A figure got out of the car.

"Richard?" I asked, more happy than surprised.

"Hey Korinna." he greeted, "I just wanted to see if you were okay." I smiled at him.

"I'm suppose I am well," I said, touched by his gesture, "but what happened last night?" Richard looked at me uneasily.

"We were talking and then you passed out. You fell into the water and it was high-tide." I gasped. He continued,

"I jumped in after you and then I brought you to shore. I performed CPR on you. After you coughed up water, you were slipping in and out of consciousness. I had Alfred take a look at you, and he said you were fine and suggested I take you home." My eyes opened wide. The story shocking, but Richard and I made lip contact...and I wasn't even awake to enjoy it.

"How did you get in?"

"Through your window." He answered nonchalantly. I looked at him disbelievingly.

"Don't be fooled, Kory," he said and then half smiled, "I am stronger than I look." I burst out in laughter.

"What?" He asked, smiling.

"Haha, really, that's your explanation?" Richard had some muscle mass on him, but it did not look like he had enough strength to climb up a tree with me and escort me through a window. He smirked.

"What, you don't believe me?" I stopped laughing.

"I don't know, maybe." I said, tapping my chin. His blue eyes sparked with mischief.

"Well, we'll just have to make you a believer." I was about to respond with a "let's go to school, Richard", when he swung me over his shoulder. The rush of wind sent my hair flying everywhere. He ran with me to his car threw me in the passenger seat. Sliding across the hood, he jumped into the driver's side, closed the door, and sped off.

"I was gonna drive myself to school today." I said.

"I know, but I wanted to take you today." Mt face heated up, not in anger, but in shock and excitement.

"Why?"

"So we could hang out later."

"Haha. You could have asked."

"I know, but I also knew you would have said yes." I raised my hands in surrender and he chuckled.

When we got to school, Richard opened the passenger door for me. When I got out of his car, he wasted no time putting his arm around me. I responded by putting my arm around his waist. Richard had some height on me. He was 6'2 and I was about 5'8. I looked up at him. His health was improving. He was getting stronger. The sun shone a happy light on us, and that unmistakable feeling of love enveloped me, and, possibly, the both of us.


Volleyball practice was canceled. The group decided to go out for ice cream. Today, Richard was more flirtatious than usual. A lot more grabbing and touching which resulted in more blushing for me. We were walking up to his car, when Kitten stopped us.

"Hey, Richard." She smiled. I was annoyed. She didn't even acknowledge me! Richard grabbed my hand and side stepped her.

"Richard, wait, where are you going?"

"I have no time for your games, Katrina." We left her there, speechless. I looked up at Richard. Health's glow had shone radiantly on his face. He looked down at me.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"Your health is getting better." I commented. He smiled. Richard has been suffering from an unknown disease. Doctors agree that it has something to do with his blood. Some days Richard does not eat or drink, while on other days, his appetite seems insatiable, and on those days he only ate steaks that were extremely rare. We got in the car and drove to the ice cream parlor. There the gang was waiting for us. Kole and Jericho were sharing an ice cream float.

"Kole! Jericho! I have not seen you all day!" They both smiled at me.

"Hello, Korinna." Jericho signed.

"Hey Kori!" greeted Kole.

"Hey Kor," Richard interrupted, "we should get in line. Its getting long." I smiled at him.

"I don't want anything."

"No, you have to."

"Richard, I really don-" He grabbed my hand and took me in line.

"Why do you insist?"

"C'mon. I didn't take you here to hang out and you NOT get anything, besides I'm paying for you." I decided not to protest. Richard was as stubborn as they come. We got ice cream and we sat down. I looked over at Rachel and Gar. She was casually leaning into his shoulder and I smiled, mostly to myself.

"Homecoming is coming up!" Jenny announced. I was excited this year. I hadn't been to a homecoming in years past.

"Ya I know, and I've got the hottest date in the whole school!" Wally exclaimed hugging Jenny and kissing her on the forehead.

"Save it for somewhere else." Donna said, annoyed. Wally and Jenny grimaced at her.

"It should be really fun." Kole said, with her tranquil, soft voice.

"I agree! What's this year's theme, Jenny?" I inquired.

"Into the jungle." She said. Allen snickered.

"That's stupid." Roy commented.

"Well it was the only theme the committee could decide on." Jade said.

"I think it's a great idea." Gar said crossing his arms. He always had a special connection with animals. He's also a devout vegan.

"Of course you would, Gar. Aren't you from the jungle?" Victor joked. Allen, Terra, and Richard laughed, but Karen hit his shoulder and Rachel rolled her eyes. Someone had opened the door and I turned around to see who it was. A tall, raven haired girl walked through the door. She had blue eyes and beautiful white skin. Her name was Zatanna and she was absolutely beautiful. She ordered her ice cream and walked over to us, her wavy, raven hair blowing in the wind she created.

"Hey guys." She smiled. We smiled and greeted her back. Zatanna was a good friend of Richard's and there was a rumor that they shared an interest in each other, because they had a lot of things in common. She was a nice girl, very friendly and loves to read. Also she was headstrong and confident. Zatanna also possessed a sort of radiance that would almost enchant you. She turned toward Richard.

"Richard, Homecoming is coming up and I was wondering if maybe thou wanted to go with me?" She said cooly. It was like she was expecting a yes. My breath hitched in my throat and Rachel raised an eyebrow. Richard smiled.

"I'm sorry, Zatanna, but I wanted to go with someone else." He said, regretfully. Not that he regretted for making a commitment to ask someone else, but regret for having to put Zatanna in this situation. Red crept across her cheeks and disappointment in her eyes.

"Who?" She asked. Now I was curious. Who could he want to talk to? It wasn't Kitten. Maybe Barbara? I've seen her flirting with him... Everyone else waited with anticipation. All eyes were on Richard.

"Korinna."

A wildfire of blush spread across my face. Richard wanted to take me to a dance. My first dance. I looked at him and then at Zatanna. Her dark ocean blue eyes were flooded with shock and Richard's face had a sympathetic expression. Everyone else, except me had a small smile on their faces. Our attention was still directed at Richard and Zatanna. He was still looking at her apologetically.

"Oh..ok..um..." Zatanna mumbled. She was trying to look for words to say.

"I'm sorry Z." She half-smiled at him.

"It's ok, I'll, see you in Pre-Cal." She turned around and rushed out the door.

"Poor girl." Kole sighed. Karen and Jade nodded in agreement. Now all eyes were directed towards me.

"So..." Terra said, her voice becoming more high-pitched.

"So what?"

"What do ya think about the situation, little lady?" Victor inquired. Excitement raged in his brown eyes. Then a sensation washed over me. A warm feeling that renders your will useless and makes your lips turn upward, eventually reaching your eyes and then the next thing you know, you look like you just won the lottery.

"I think it is..." I searched for the word. I wanted it to be simplistic, yet convey every emotion I was feeling at the moment. Then it hit me. I looked at everyone.

"It is glorious."

Richard said that he would ask me 'properly'. The vagueness in the answer was enough to both excite and terrify me, especially since the boys were helping him. The girls were almost squealing, even Rachel, who was pleasantly surprised at the whole ordeal. Donna and Jinx said that the girls had to go shopping immediately for my dress and already started planning what to do with my hair and makeup. Donna said that a purple smoky eye would accentuate my green eyes. I was very excited. It was my first homecoming and I was going with Richard, the love of my life. I was so surprised with everyone's reaction, Victor even wanted to have a celebratory cook out, but that conversation spiraled into a debate about whether to serve all meat (Vic and Roy's prerogative) or Vegan dishes (Gar and Allen's prerogative). After a heated discussion, we decided to abandon the cookout idea.

I called my mom and told her that I was with Richard and she told me to get home safely. She knew of my feelings for Richard, but she didn't want me going too fast with him. I was only 16 after all and he was 17. My mom thought Richard was very mature for his age, and she was afraid that I wouldn't be emotionally ready to be with someone like him. She was also afraid of the possible sex, and to be honest, I was afraid of that too. He was extremely attractive and I've never been in a relationship. My mom was experiencing typical fears that every parent had, and that was fine, it wasn't like getting in a relationship with Richard would happen anytime soon, if ever. It was night fall by the time Richard and I got in his car to take my home. Today was interesting. We were silent in the car. I was thinking about the reason why Richard wanted to go with me. I know I'm his best friend, but there were so many options. Zatanna, Donna, Babs...they were all good friends of his. I just wanted to know why he chose me.

"Why are you so quiet?" He asked.

"Nothing." I lied. I felt like I was being silly. He frowned.

"What is bothering you?"

"Richard, it is nothing." It really wasn't. I don't even know why it was affecting me so much.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." I could tell he was dissatisfied with my answer. He parked in my driveway. I stepped out of his car. I was surprised when I looked up and saw him standing in front of me. There he goes being fast again...

"Did you enjoy today?" He asked. I smiled.

"Very much so."

"Then why were you so quiet in the car?" I bit my lip and averted my eyes from his gaze.

"Do you not want to go to the dance with me?" he asked. It sounded like he was almost reluctant to ask that question. I looked up at him, eyes wide. He looked upset and disappointed.

"No, it's not that at all!"

"Then what's bothering you?" He asked. This time I had to give him an answer. I looked away from him. I felt like a bundle of nerves.

"I wanted to know why you wanted to go the dance with me..." I said sheepishly. I blushed for the millionth time that day. I was still looking away from him when I heard his laughter.

"Really, Kori? That was it?" He said between breaths.

"Yes..." I said, annoyed. His laughter died down.

"Oh, Kori." He pulled me in for a hug.

"Why were you laughing at me?" I mumbled into his chest.

"I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at myself. I was so worried..."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Are you going to answer my question?" He smiled.

"I'll tell you when I ask you to Homecoming." I couldn't be upset with him. I had had enough excitement for one day, and the icing on the cake was the embrace we were sharing right now. I don't know how long we stayed hugging, but it was long enough to make me feel as if I were dreaming.


A/N: Once again, I combined the chapters. I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am! :) ~TheSleepingHollow